What is the best search engine to use looking for properties on the internet in the Puget Sound region?

  • by fred - Fri, 11/21/2014 - 13:55

The short answer to that is any Northwest Multiple Listing (NWMLS) supported website.  What that means, is you want to use a website that updates directly from the NWMLS data base.  So browse the different local Real Estate Company’s websites. Find the one that has the search parameters that you like the best, ease to use, etc.  Whether it is The Doner Group, Redfin, Windermere, you will find the data in those sites most current.  Stay away from National Websites such as Zillow or Realtor.com.  They do not have direct access to the NWMLS data base and consequently the information in those sites are not as up to date. And when searching an active market, nothing sucks more than getting excited about a property someone else already purchased and closed on months ago! Keep in mind many of these sites are designed to capture your information so a local Real Estate Agent, who paid for that service can contact you to solicit their services.  Many of the local sites will not require you to register to do that search either.  They are updated regularly because the agents that maintain the data base face hefty fines if they do not immediately update status on their listings (within 24 hours).  Finally, you can ask your Real Estate Agent, and they can program you a custom search that will notify you within minutes of coming on the market, any home in your designated search parameters.  Now that is cool!